Andover

Andover is a town in Hampshire, England, 18 miles west of Basingstoke, 15 miles northwest of Winchester, 25 miles north of Southampton, and 65 miles southwest of London. It was founded as Andeferas, meaning "ashtree water" in Brythonic. In 950, King Eadred of England built a hunting lodge at Andover, and, in 962, King Edgar of England called a meeting of the Witenagemot at that same hunting lodge. In 994, Olav Trygvasson was baptized at Andover, and, a year later, he became King of Norway and attempted to Christianize his country. By 1086, Andover had 500 residents and had a grain and flour market. In 1175, Andover became an ancient borough, and it remained a small market town for centuries. By the 21st century, the town's largest employer was the Ministry of Defense. In 2011, Andover had a population of 41,761 people.